In The Garden

Chapter 22

A young Alice Cooper skipped leading another young girl by the hand through the night. It was a crisp autumn evening and the two girls walked slowly. Alice turned back to look at Tracy. Tracy's eyes were glossed over. She was deep in the trance Georgette had cast on her. Alice led her through Georgette's garden to the place where the entry way to the secret room was. She reached up to the statue and pulled down on its arm causing the door to open. The room was lit and there were sounds and smells coming from it. The sounds were sounds of chatter between the four women who occupied the room and boiling liquid.

"Come on Tracy," smiled Alice back at her. "We're almost there now."

Alice carefully led the young girl down into the room. The four women looked over at them.

"Alice, you're right on time," said Georgette smiling up at her.

"I brought Tracy," she said.

" I see that thank you dear one," said Georgette, " bring her to me."

A black cat rubbed up against Alice's legs lovingly. She reached down to pet it on the head.

"Bring her here," said Georgette.

Alice led Tracy over to Georgette. Georgette ran a finger down Tracy's face and looked into her eyes then kissed her on the forehead.

Veronica Baker lay on a futon in the spare room of her aunt's house. Her aunt had promised they'd get her a real bed as soon as possible. Her aunt Vanessa was her mother's older sister. All of her kids were off at college now and she and her husband were empty nesters. But now they had Veronica to raise which they were proud to do. Veronica hadn't told them much about the night her parents died she had said it was to hard to talk about. It was getting late and she was starting to get sleepy. She closed her eyes for what she thought was a second but she fell into a dream right away. In her dream, she was standing before a smiling Georgette.

"Georgette," said a happy Veronica.

"Hello dear one," said Georgette.

"I brought you the boy," said Veronica.

"I know I got him," replied Georgette, " thank you. I have chosen the next one."

"OK who is it?" asked Veronica.

"Debra Hart," told Georgette.

"She goes to my school," told Veronica.

"I know," said Georgette, " bring her to me. And when you get to the room destroy the ward the empath but on it."

"How do I do that?" asked Veronica.

"It's very simple. Just scratch the symbol she drew with a knife or something that should do the trick," explained Georgette.

"Ok I'll do that," said Veronica.

"Alice is dead so you're my one and only now," said Georgette, "don't fail me as she did."

"Never," said Veronica.

"I'll see you soon," said Georgette.

Veronica awoke the spare room was dark and a black cat jumped up into her lap purring.

"Hello kitty," said Veronica, " let's go see your mommy."

The cat meowed in response.

From the other room there was a loud crash and a scream. Veronica got to her feet and ran to the door of the spare room she slowly opened it. The house was dark. Then there was a hard knock on the front door.

"Open the door it's the police," said Detective Richards voice from the other side.

Veronica was scared to go to the front door what had that noise and scream been. She slowly crept from her room and towards the front door the hard knock came again causing her to jump. The cat was at her feet. She made it to the front door and opened it.

"Hello," she said.

"Get down," told Richards.

"What?" asked Veronica.

"Get down!"

Veronica dropped to the floor the cat looked behind them and hissed there in the shadows stood George Walker.

"Freeze," said Richards.

George ignored his command and continued walking toward them.

"I mean it I'll shoot you!" warned Richards.

George ignored him again. Richards fired a warning shot. It hit George in the leg and for the first time in thirty years George felt pain. This confused him why was he now feeling pain. He stopped moving forward.

"Get on your knees!" told Richards, George obeyed, "drop the axe and put your hands behind your head."

George complied with this new set of demands by Richards. Richards took out his hand cuffs and was starting to cuff George's right hand.

"Help him," whispered Georgette's voice to Veronica.

Veronica didn't know what to do so she picked up the cat and threw it at Richards. The car hissed as it flew through the air. Catching Richards in the face the cat's claws clung in his skin.

"Now run," whispered Georgette again.

Veronica bolted out the open front door and down the street. George took this opportunity he grabbed his axe from the floor and planted it in Richards chest. Richards fell to the ground with the blow and George pulled the axe out. Richards lay on the ground but he was still alive he went for his gun. George raised his axe over his head and swung down hard striking Richards in the head. When George pulled the axe away that time, Richards fell back lifeless. George spun around and looked for Veronica but only found the cat sitting there staring up at him.

"I love you too," he said to the cat which then turned and darted out the front door after Veronica.

George hobbled to the front door but Veronica was nowhere in sight. George stepped back into the house disappearing into the shadows. Detectives Matthews and Marx along with Marcea and Zelda arrived at Veronica's aunts house about five minutes later. They found the door open and walked in guns drawn.

"You two stay out here," said Anna.

They found Richards dead in the front room and Veronica's aunt and uncle in the kitchen. The two detectives returned to Marcea and Zelda.

"There's no sign of Veronica," told Anna, "but Richards and her aunt and uncle are dead."

"It was George," said Zelda, "he won't stop until he finds her."

"Good thing I know where she is going," said Marcea.

"Really where is she going?" asked Darren.

"She's gone to lure Debra Hart to her death at the hands of Georgette," explained Marcea.

"And how do you know this?" asked Darren.

"Because the fog is gone," explained Marcea.

"Then we are running out of time," said Zelda, " if my sister regains her full power I don't know how to stop her."

"Who's Debra Hart?" asked Darren.

"She's the next one to die unless we can stop my sister," said Zelda, "she must be using Veronica the way she used Alice to lure the children to her."

"Where is Debra Hart?" asked Anna.

"At her home," explained Marcea.

"Where is that?" asked Darren.

"8600 Westridge," told Marcea.

"Can we make there in time?" asked Anna.

"Only time will tell," said Marcea.